The death penalty in Japan is imposed in cases of murder, and robbery and/or rape leading to death. In such cases, capital punishment is not mandatory and is usually only imposed in cases of multiple killings, though since 2006 this criteria has not been strictly observed.
Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of death penalties handed down, rising from an average of five a year in the 1990s to 15 in 2004, 23 in 2007 and 17 in 2013.
Accounting for the upward trend, there appears to be an increased willingness by prosecutors to seek the death penalty, while retention of this practice is justified in terms of strong public support. Indeed, a 2009 government poll found 86 percent of respondents to be in favor of retaining the death penalty.